Mommy's Lessons Learned - Nurturing

Updated on June 2, 2011

Mommy's Lessons Learned - Nurturing

It’s a cold, blustery 32 degree Sunday morning in early December. It’s 5 am and here I sit with a group of other sleepy eyed and groggy parents in the lounge of our local tennis facility. Many of us have been up for over an hour depending on where we’ve traveled from and most of us are totally dependant on several cups of coffee to get us even partially functioning. Others are curled up on the couches in the lounge covered by their winter coats catching up on sleep. You’re probably wondering what ungodly reason we would have to be up at this hour unless it was tending to a newborn or sick child. Well this is one of the many unexpected things you’ll find yourself doing when you are nurturing the love of something (in our case tennis) in your child.

Nurturing…..just the word alone makes me warm inside the way a cup of hot chocolate would. It begins the first time your child is placed in your arms and you find yourself in the center of a new and inspiring universe. To gaze down upon your life’s most amazing creation and life long endeavor is undoubtedly a humbling experience.

As far back as I could remember I find myself fascinated by the creation of a child. No matter how many times you watch it unfold the entire process is astounding. How every minuscule cell knows exactly what it will be and the function it will serve is as close to miraculous as one can explain. No matter what religious beliefs we may have, that in itself is all the proof I need of divine intervention and of a higher being completely in charge of creation. The beauty of a newborn child in all its God given glory and perfectness is breathtaking. The soft skin and tiny yet meticulously detailed fingers a visible testament of the creators’ fine work. Yet despite all that beauty once in the protection of our loving arms it is our utmost responsibility to nurture the spirit and promise inside of that little body and guide it into adulthood.

Thus it’s what brings us here to the lounge of this chilly tennis club. All of the children here in attendance though different ages, races, religions and backgrounds all have a common thread, a love for the sport of tennis and most importantly caring and dedicated parents encouraging their children and their various talents. Supporting them in their desire to improve, compete, socialize and grow not only physically but emotionally as well. As it was in the beginning, losing sleep and setting aside ourselves to help them along through life.

Funny when you think about it at all stages of their lives we’ll be losing sleep for our children for different yet all important reasons. In the beginning it’s mostly the simple primal needs of survival – food, shelter and clothing. Later it’s more getting through basic development and wants more than needs, always with love weaved in. At some point, though I haven’t gotten there yet, I’m sure many nights are lost once that child has left the nest wondering if they are well and all there needs are being met.

I’m not even going to try to debate the Nurture vs. Nature topic but there definitely cannot be one without the other. The way I see it simply put it is in a parents nature to nurture. So with that I’ll take another sip of my coffee and wait for my girls to exit with their friends, happy and proud of their early morning accomplishments.